Next week, AC Milan and Stefano Pioli will be making their final preparations before going on their separate paths, and he has taken a chance to reflect on his final season in today’s press conference.
Whilst Milan have earned a second-placed finish in Serie A this year, it has not been pretty. Results have been consistently inconsistent, and the Rossoneri have struggled continuously in the biggest fixtures in domestic and European settings, and it is understandable why separation is the route forward.
Read SempreMilan ad-free and get access to exclusive news. Click here for a free trial!
Inter doing the double in the Derby della Madonnina and AS Roma doing the double in the Europa League deeply wounded the club, and it is understood why change is required. However, there are also areas where the club have done well.
A second-place finish provides added revenue and an entrance into the Supercoppa. Above all, though, it is an improvement on the previous season’s finish.
Before this weekend’s game against Torino, the 58-year-old spoke to the press and spoke about the Rossoneri’s season – the full press conference can be found here.
A grade for you and the team?
“No. We definitely had a better championship than last year, but a worse Europe than last year.”
Is it possible that with almost 100 goals in the season, you can’t win something?
“There are those who have scored more than us, but also and especially those who have taken fewer than us.”
Can this old fart stop talking?
He is so annoying, so he should just keep quiet.
Thank u and bye bye Mr t-tmobile
Pioli is the best thing that happened to Milan in a long time. Legend
Pioli is the worst thing that happened to Milan in a long time. Disgrace.
clearly you must be new to being an ac milan fan because some of us had actually been suffering for over a decade with the banter era and no scudettos won. At least with Pioli we have been able to dream again.
All thanks to Ibra
Baldie was losing 5-0 to Atalanta before then
Hopefully this fraud gets the boot this season
Hey im not arguing against that milan probably could use a new coach to take up a step further but come on, isnt it nice when you can come up with simplified answers because clearly pioli also played a part in our successes improving us as a team even if some of his choices are rather questionable.
Dont waste your energy martin for reply that capcelotti. He is just pure hater, even if pioli coaching ACM win champion league , he will still mocking, glory hunter like him only want the team treble every years and if thats not happen he will find scapegoat to mocking & insult. Pioli cycle will end but he is better than all coach in banter era ( even allegri) as he bring ACM play on CL , got to semifinal , win one scudetto also develop young player become core player for ACM
Sorry for the late reply but ended up going out and getting drunk but yeah you are probably right here but his initial post just itched me the wrong the wrong way,
The turning point was Maldini & Massara.
They recruited most of the players in the Serie A winning season, improving on our poor squad year after year. They even identified big targets like Theo & Leao to come here. There were other suitors, Milan was not the expected choice of either but Maldini convinced both. Theo has publicly stated this in interviews. So has Leao.
Pioli was just in the right place at the right time. He’s an average but overly predictable coach. Can’t really adapt to changes on the fly and is always a step or two behind. Milan’s talent hid his weaknesses but no more.
Of course, as soon as M&M were fired. Look at what’s happened to Milan.
Fact: Without M&M support, Pioli folded like a cheap suit. Make all the excuses for him you want, but this year he’s looked like a lost little boy looking for his mommy.
I agree. It was all Maldini when you look at who were the players that won the scudeto. Only Kessie was a crucail player from previous managment. Maldini problem was that he couldnt renew contracts, but in choosing players and recognising potential he was doing a good job. Far better than the current management.
Some people in here don’t realize that Moncada was the chief scout the entire time that Maldini was Milan technical director. Followed Theo and Leao for 4,5 years before they were signed by Milan. BTW those 2 were signed 6 months after Moncada was hired as a chief scout. Coincidence? I think not.
Almost every young player that Milan signed over the last 5 years was based on Moncada recommendations.
The only player Moncada didn’t recommend, according to Maldini’s own words in his infamous interview, was Tonali.
And what are you basing your conclusion that Maldini was better at recognizing talent than the current management?
New management has done this without Maldini for only 1 season, and almost every new signing performed. Some better than the others, but even those that were barely used by the coach still contributed. As it was reported yesterday, almost 75% of Milan goals this season were thanks to the new signings.
Tell us again how they are not good at recognizing potential.
Also, go check how the “Maldini” signings were doing in their first year at Milan, especially Tonali.
Tonali was trash. Leao was considered a flop and waste of money until his 3rd season. Kalulu didn’t play for a year and a half.
How about you give this new management and new signings more than 10 months to prove that are not as good as the previous management and the previous signings.
Just a reminder. Milan regressed in the 1st season under Maldini’s management. Went from 5th to 6th. And 6th was a success thanks to a covid stoppage, because before covid Milan was 11th.
Gattuso’s Milan finished 5th, 1 point behind the 3rd spot, before he was fired and replaced with Giampaolo.
Under this new management Milan went from 5th to 2nd.
Rome wasn’t built in 1 day.
kalulu played 18 matches combined in his first season with us but only played sparingly before december so you are not correct there.
Moncada is the chief scout now too plus he has decision power now as well, but i don’t see players on Leao or Theo level being signed. You can’t take that away from Maldini, he chose those players not Moncada. Some of them like Theo even came just cause of Maldini. As for the new signing the 75% numbers are fake as many here on this blog already mentioned on other articles. Also you only had Leao and Giroud from the old ones in attack while the rest of the strikers are all new, so i dont see how is that even a fair comparison. I understand your point that they might be better when they get used to the system in their second season. Fair point. However i think its not just geting used to the system, the talent of the older players was just bigger. You can’t expect 28year old Loftus to develop any further, this players that they bought last year are finished products, except Musa. Theo, Leao, Tonali, Benacer… were all 20/21 when we got them, very different situation. The fact that they costed more even as 20year olds than the new players shows you that they were already considered as something far better. Just that should show you the difference in ambition between this managment and Maldini, one bought top prospects that can become great and the others bought bunch of finished average players + Pulisich who is a bit above average. But sure lets see what will they do this summer, my expectations are not that high tho.
“The only player Moncada didn’t recommend, according to Maldini’s own words in his infamous interview, was Tonali.”
– And Ibra. They were all against signing him and it took a lot of persuasion from Maldini to Cardinale to sign him. Now he’s turned into Cardinale’s favourite pet. Goes to show Cardinale doesn’t have a clue about sporting side of running a club. He’s a key account banker afterall.
“Also, go check how the “Maldini” signings were doing in their first year at Milan, especially Tonali.
Tonali was trash. Leao was considered a flop and waste of money until his 3rd season. Kalulu didn’t play for a year and a half.”
– And yet they sacked him over CdK because he too had a bad settling first season. Two-faced amateurs running this club.
You forget that baldie didn’t say a word when Maldini was sacked
Ungrateful old sod
Maldini made a huge mistake with him twice
First was appointing him(after foolishly appointing Giampaolo) and the second was that last contract renewal
Pioli has been a fantastic manager for Milan – this season hasn’t been an ‘A’, no, but he deserves respect for what he has done with the team IMO. I wouldn’t rate the season any lower than a ‘B’.
– We came second and easily qualified for the UCL, despite the other teams in the top 4 not playing any European games midweek
– We came third in the toughest UCL group, with both teams that beat us having a larger payroll and getting to the semi finals themselves
The legs against Roma in the Europa League were the only real ‘let down’ for me, we should have been more competitive there.
But otherwise, he’s integrated a lot of new, young players into the team, he’s always stopped any run of bad form, he’s done it without a top level centre-forward (which none of the teams around have done) and he’s had dignity and grace throughout.
Inter’s current form is clouding people’s judgement but they’re on a historic sporting high, created with unsustainable debt. Do you really think if you switched Pioli and Inzaghi the table would be different?
This season wasn’t perfect but it wasn’t terrible. And Pioli’s years with the team have made us a respectable team once again. If he leaves (and I hope he doesn’t) then his successor has a lot to live upto.
My main issue is our defensive game, or lack of it. Last year we had Tatarochano to blame, but this season has been even worse. We gave out cheap goals like it is Christmas all season long. Yes our squad lacks defensive players, but Pioli’s tactics seem to highlight this instead of hiding ot.
Pioli has been horrible for Milan. HORRIBLE.
Only people who started watching in the banter era think Pioli is good.
Cannot wait until he is sacked so you Pioli’s orphans go away.
This. Perfect summary. Kudos.
Pioli will forever be in our history. But he paid the price of not taking us to the next step after the scudetto, even though there were multiple factors at play, he does share a huge part in this.
The worst Milan coach to ever win scudetto.
Only won it thanks to luck.
To me Pioli is trying to build experience but I will advice Acmilan should give him a chance if he won today game please but let’s sign quality midfield like the attacking and defensive for him is important
Please just be quiet
Milan is not a midtable club to be satisfied with Serie B-level scrubs like Pioli
Last I heard, he was linked with Fenerbahce
Perfect, that is his level, plus he gets reunited with his Bosnian ex-boyfriend
Why is this capcelotti guy replied to everyone here just to hating on Pioli… never seen him before.
Pioli is not the best coach in the world but his achievement is clear to see:
– one scudetto
– consecutive Champions league placement after all those banter era nightmare
– one of the best in terms of ppg
– developing many young players (admittedly not every single one, but most improved). Maldini was a great player of course, but players improved under Pioli coaching. Maldini himself admitted he didn’t coach the players, only give some advice now and then.
This is the end of his Milan cycle but fans must give credit where it’s due.
5 derbies lost,Get us Conte Yesterday already !